Teuck



(No Model.) Y

No. 442,891. Patented Dec. 16, 1890.

ll ||||1 I A 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. F. HITE.

TRUCK.

(No Model.)

No. 442,891. Patented Dec. 16,1890.

W. F. HITE.

3 SheetsSheet 3.

TRUCK.

. (No Model.)

Patented Dec. 16,1890.

I UNITED STATES PATENT I Grinch.v

\YllililllM F. IIITE, OF GAINESVILLE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO KIDDER M. IIITE, OF SAME PLACE.

TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,891, dated December 16, 1890.

Application filed April 17, 1890. Serial No. 34:8,339. (No model.)

To coZZ whom it may concern: side thereof, connected by cross-pieces and Be it known that I, \VILLIAM F. HITE, of the horizontal cross-shafts j j. The main Gainesville, in the county of Prince lVilliam frame is also provided with corresponding and State of Virginia, have invented certain transverse cross-shafts j j. Each shaft j of new and useful Improvements in Trucks; and the elevating platform is connected with its 55 I do hereby declare that the following is a full, corresponding shaft j of the main frame by a clear, and exact description of the invention, series of pivoted links it, said links being all which will enable others skilled in the art to of the same length between their pivotal which it appertains to make and use the same, points of connection with the shafts j j, so

reference being had to the accompanying that the elevating platform can either rest 60 drawings, and to the letters and figures of upon the top of the main supporting-frame reference marked thereon,which form part of with the links lying obliquely, or can be this specification. raised until the links assume substantially a This invention relates to certain improveposition as shown in Fig. 2. The links of each ments in trucks, and is particularly adapted series are suitably connected and braced, and 65 for use at railroad stations, depots, and the two of the links of the intermediateseries like. have theirlower ends Z-lextended downwardly Theinvention consists in certain novel feaa suitable distance and connected by a crosstures of construction and combinations of bar Z, thereby forming operating-levers to parts, more fully described hereinafter, and raise and lower the platform. A horizontal 70 particularly pointed out in the claims. Windlass-shaft m is mounted in the inclined Referring to the accompanying drawings, beams m of the main frame, and a suitable Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the rope, cord, or the like a is secured to and elevating platform in the act of being raised wound upon said shaft and at its opposite end 2 5 from its normal lowered position. Fig. 2 is a secured to said cross-bar Z, so that when said 7 5 side elevation of the apparatus, parts being shaft is rotated in a direction to wind said broken away, showing the elevating platform rope thereon it will draw said lever-arm Z Zof in its raised position. Fig. 3 is a cross-section, the links down and toward the shaft, thereby and Figs. 4, 5, andG are details of the ratchet swinging up the upper ends of said arms,

o movement for operating the elevating platforming the links and raising the platform. 80'

form. By this means and construction great lever- In the drawings, the reference-letter a indiage and power are obtained, and the platform cates the main supporting-frame of the truck. can be quickly raised and lowered. This frame consists of the parallel horizontal The operating cord a between the wind- 5 side sills b b and c c, securcd together by the lass-shaft and cross-bar of the operating-le- 85 corner-uprights (Z (Z and end pieces 6 e. At vers of the elevating platform bears up the lower corners of this frame the four small against the under surface of the pulley 19, wheels f are mounted, and at the center of loosely mounted on a horizontal shaft or rod the frame the main supporting-wheels g are q, secured to the lower ends of two connected mounted upon an axle secured to the lower uprights r r, loosely connected to allow lim- 9o horizontal sills of the main frame. The diited vertical movement of the said uprights ameter of the main wheels is greater than by means of elongated slots or yokes s 8, those of the small end wheels, so that the truck preferably embracing the axle of the main can have a limited vertical rocking niovewheels. When the elevating platform is at lnent upon the axle of the main wheels as a its limit of downward movement, it rests. upon 9 5 center. the upper ends of said posts r r. Hence when h indicates the elevating platform of the the Windlass-shaft is operated to tighten the truck, located above and supported by said rope and raise the platform the tension. upon main frame. Said elevating platform is comthe rope causes it to bear up against the pulposed of the two longitudinal sills i i on each ley 19, thereby forcing the posts 2' r up against .100

ill") the under sides of the side sills of the elevating platform, thereby assisting to start said platform in its upward course and acting in conjunction with the operating-rope and levers to raise the platform. The upper ends of said uprights can be provided with rollers, if desired, to bear against the elevating platform. One of theinclined bars m is provided with a series of steps or teeth f upon its upper edge, and the elevating platform is provided with a swinging brace orleg 1/, adapted to rest upon said steps at its lower end, and thereby hold the elevating platform at any desired intermediate height. A rigid bracket 1: depends from the elevating platform, and at its lower end carries a swinging holder 1r, at its lower end provided with a shoulder or bend, upon which the free end of the said swinging brace is adapted to rest and be held when the platform is being lowered. The up per end of the swinging holder is bent toward the end of the truck, so that when the platform is lowered said upper bent end will strike an end piece of the main frame and swing in the lower end of said holder, and thereby drop the free end of the swinging brace and allow it to fall upon the said inclined beam below the steps thereon. When the platform is raised, the free end of said brace is placed on said holder. It should be observed that this holder drops the free end of the brace upon the lower portion of the said inclined beam in readiness for use, while otherwise when the platform was raised the brace would hang vertical, and as the platform dropped the lower end of the brace would engage the uppermost step on the upper part of the inclined beam and prevent the downward movement of said platform. The object of this swing-brace is to providcasat'etycatch, which will prevent the platform from falling if by any accident either of the pawls should fail to catch or should be knocked out of place or the rope should break or become misplaced.

At its ends the elevating platform or the main frame is provided with the swinging handles a, by which the truck is propelled and guided. The windlass-shaft is preferably operated to raise or lower the elevating plat form by means of the operating-lever 1), hifurcated at itslowcr end and loosely mounted on an extended end of said shaft. A washer and a ratchet-wheel c are located on the shaft between the forks of said bifurcated end of the lever. The ratchet wheel is rigidly mounted on the shaft. A pivoted pawl (Z is located in the bifurcated end of the lever to engage a tooth of said ratchet-wheel when the lever is swung in a direction to rotate said wheel to wind the operating-rope on the windlass-shaft and to run over the ratchet-teeth when the lever is swung in the opposite direction. A pawl c is pivoted on the inclined beam at to normallyengage the teeth of said wheel and run loosely over the same when the Windlass-shaft is rotated to wind up the opcrating-rope, but normally prevent rotation of the wheel in the opposite direction. Hence when the platform is in the position of Fig. 1 and it is desired to raise the same the operating-lever is swung toward the left and the pawl (1' will engage a tooth of the wheel and rotate the same, while the locking-pawl 6 will loosely run over the teeth of the wheel; but when the lever is drawn back for a fresh hold the locking-pawl will hold the wheel and the dog will run over the same. The locking-pawl can swing back and rest on a pin 2 out of engagement with the ratchetwheel. A swinging finger 3 is on the same stud with said pawl and is weighted at one end and on the opposite end provided with a pin projecting beneath the free end of the pawl, so that when said finger is swung by the hand of the operator toa horizontal position, bringing its pin in contact with the under edge of the free end of the pawl, it will by the action of gravityswing the pawl back and hold it on the rest-pin 2. A swinging catch 4: is pivoted above the bifurcated end of the operating-lever, and is provided with a lower hooked end to engage a shoulder on the upper end of the dog and hold the free end of said dog from engagement with the ratchet wheel. The opposite end of said catch is extended to engage a pin 5, secured to a stationary part of the main frame when the operating-lever is swung to the left and the dog thereof is held by the catch, and thereby release said catch from the dog and allow the dog to be thrown into engagement with the teeth of the ratchetwheel by the swinging plate 6, mounted on the same stud with said dog and provided with pins 7 8 to engage the upper and lower ends of said dog, respectively. The locking-pawl is wider than the ratchetwheel and projects to one side, so as to engage with the heel 9 of the plate (5. If when the lever is at its extreme limit to the left, with its dog in engagement with the ratchet-Wheel, it is desired to lower the platform the finger 3 is operated, as before described, to throw the said pawl back on pin 2 and release it from the ratchet-wheel. The lever is then moved to the right, thereby allowing the windlass-shaft to rotate to unwind the operatingcord and lower the platform until an edge of the bifurcated end of the lever comes in contact with the upper projecting end of finger 3 and hears it down, thereby relieving pawl e from the gravity force of the finger and allowing it to fall into its normal position in engagement with and locking the ratchetwheel. Then upon further movement of the lever the heel t) of the plate 6 will come in contact with projecting part ll of said pawl, thereby rocking the said plate, so as to cause pin 7 to force the dog cl from engagement with the ratchet-wheel, and so that its upper shouldered end will be caught and the dog thus locked by the catch 4. The ratchet-W11 eel being new locked against unwinding rotation of the windlassshaft, the lever can be thrown to the left again for a new hold, and during this movement the upper extended end of catch 4 engages pin 5, thereby releasing the dog d and allowing it to swing into engagement with the ratchet-wheel. The pawl can now be released and the operation just described repeated, the movement of the lever from right to left being repeated until the platform reaches its lowestposition.

This truck is particularly adapted for handling baggage at railroad stations and. depots. Its many advantages are clearly obvious without enumeration.

It is evident that various changes mightbe made in the form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction herein set forth; but

hat I claim is- 1. In a baggage-truck, the combination of the rectangular main frame consisting of the lower end and side sills, the corner uprights, the upper end and side sills, the main supporting-wheels, the corner-wheels, the rectangular elevating platform normally resting on said frame and connected thereto by links,

and operating means for raising said platform, substantially as described.

2. In a truck, the combination of the main frame provided with supporting-wheels, the elevating platform normally resting on. the main frame, a series of pairs of parallel swinging links at their opposite ends pivoted, respectively, to the frame and platform, one pair of links having their lower ends extended down below the pivotal points to the main frame, said extended ends being connected by a cross-bar, and an operating-Windlass in the main frame connected with said cross-bar to raise and lower the platform, substantially as described.

3. In a truck, the combination of the main frame having an inclined beam provided with steps on its upper edge, the elevating platform normally resting on the upper side of said frame, operating means for raising and lowering the platform, a swinging brace or leg carried by the platform to rest on said steps, and a holder for said leg to raise the same when the platform is being lowered.

4. In a truck, the combination of the wheeled main frame, the elevating platform, a Windlass mounted in the main frame connected to raise and lower the platform, a swinging operated lever bifurcated atitslower end and loosely mounted on the windlassshaft, a ratchet-wheel rigid on the shaft in said bifurcated end of the lever, a pivoted dog in said end of the lever to lock the lever to the wheel when swung in one direction, a catch to hold said dog from the wheel, constructed to engage a stop and automatically release the dog when the lever reaches a certain point in its back-stroke, and a swinging pawl pivoted to the main frame to prevent retrograde movement of said wheel, substantially as described.

5. A Windlass-shaft, in combination with its loose operating-lever, the ratchet-wheel rigid on the shaft, a swinging dog to lock the lever and wheel together, a swinging pawl pivoted to the main frame to prevent retrograde movement, a pin upon which the pawl rests when swung back. and a weighted finger on the same pivot with the pawl to throw and hold the same back.

6. In a hand-truck, the combination, with the wheeled main frame, of the elevating plat form, swinging links pivoted to said frame and carrying the platform, one or more of said links being extended down to form a lever-arm for raising the platform, and means 7 for operating said arm, substantially as set forth.

7 In combination, the main frame, the elevating platform, the swinging supporting links, one or more of said links being extended down to form a lever-arm, the Windlass-shaft, and the connection between said shaft and said lever-arm, as set forth.

8. In combination, a wheeled rectangular main frame, the elevating platform carried by said frame and normally resting on the same, links pivoted at their opposite ends to said frame and said platform, respectively, a lever arm or arms fulcrumed on the main frame and pivoted at its upper end to the platform to elevate the same, a Windlass-shaft in said frame having a flexible connection to the lower end of said lever, and means to control said shaft to raise and lower the platform, substantially as described.

9. In combination, the main frame composed of upper and lower side and end beams, cross-shafts secured to the upper side beams, the main supporting-wheels, the small corner-wheels, the elevating platform normally resting on said frame and having crossshafts, the links at their opposite ends mounted on shafts of the frame and platform, respectively, and a Windlass for raising and lowering the platform, as set forth.

10. In combination, the main wheeled frame,

a Windlass therein having means for operating and controlling it, the elevating platform, a lever fulcrumed between its ends to said frame, with its upper end pivoted to said platform to raise and lower the same, and its lower end connected to said Windlass by flexible connections, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with the main wheeled frame, the elevating platform carried thereby, and a Windlass carried by the main frame, having its cord or rope connected with the platform to operate the same, of a verticallymovable frame carried by the main frame, with the platform (when lowered) resting 011 its upper end and having said cord or rope bearing up against its lower end, as and for the purpose set forth.

12. The wheeled supporting-frame having a series of steps, in combination with the elevating platform, a swinging safety-brace carried thereby to rest on said steps, and an automatic holder for said brace, substantially as described.

13. In combination with a shaft, a ratchetwheel rigid on the same, an operating-lever loose on the shaft in proximity to said wheel, apivoted locking-pawl for said wheel to normally prevent rotation in one direction, a pivoted dog carried by said lever to lock the lever to the wheel when swung in one direction and having an extended end, and a swinging hooked or shouldered catch carried by the lever to engage said extended end and hold the dog from engagement with the wheel, substantially as described.

ll. In combination a shaft having a ratchet-wheel rigid therewith, a swinging locking pawl for said wheel, an operating-lever loose on the shaft, a dog to engage said wheel pivoted to said lever having an extended shouldered end, a plate pivoted to said lever having a heel and pins to operate said dog, a catch pivoted to the lever having an end to engage said dog and hold it from said wheel, and an extended end to engage a stop and automatically release the dog, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. IIITE.

Witnesses;

O. E. DUFFY, t. M. WERLE. 

